Fire-escape and elevator



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. R. S. CURTIS.

FIRE ESCAPE AND ELEVATOR.

No. 320,854. v Patented June 23,1885

WITNESSES a X DTVENTOR: & I r I BY mu ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS Phmu-Lilwgnphor. Walhington. D. C

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.,

O. R. S. CURTIS.

FIRE ESCAPE AND ELEVATOR.

No. 320,854. Patented June 23, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES CHARLES R. S. CURTIS,

PATENT Urrrcn.

OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

Fl RE-ESCAPE AND ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 320,854, dated June 23, 1885.

(No model To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. S. CURTIS, of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes and Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The objects of my invention are to provide for Stopping the carriage should the hoisting-rope break, and for moving the carriage by hand-power and holding it securely independently of the hoisting-rope; also, to prevent the fall of the carriage when operated by the hand-gearing in case the operator by mistake disconnects the said gearing instead of operating it.

The invention consists in particular constructions and combinations of parts of the fire-escape and elevator, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improvement, showing a part of the guide-post of the carriage. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 8'is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a front elevation with the face-plate of the carriage broken away to show the gearing. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line as m, Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the hand lever or crank of the carriage-gearing and in larger size.

The letter A indicates a post, which is fastened in any suitable way to a wall or other support, and so as to guide the carriage B, which runs up and down along the post. The carriage has a face-plate, O, to which the box, floor, or platform D is fixed. To the back of plate 0 are fixed the blocks E E, which have tongues e e, which enter grooves in opposite sides of the post A. (See Fig. 5.)

Cams F F are pivoted at f f to the blocks E E or the back of the carriage, and so as to present their gripping or acting faces to the opposite sides of the post A; and the cams have extended arms F, against which strong springs G act to force the cams against the post for stopping the descent of the carriage should its suspensiona'ope H or the attachments of the carriage to the rope break.

The rope H, which passes over drums (not shown) and may be coiled around a windingdrum by any convenient power, is attached, by a bail, t, or otherwise, to a head piece or plate, I, which is held by a heavy nut or collar, onto the bolt J, which is connected to the head or top of the carriage. The nut or collar j sustains the weight of the carriage when it is unsupported by the camsF F, and these cams are connected by ropes or chains K K with the head-piece I, the ropes K be ing of proper length to hold the cams out of gripping contact with the post A when the head I rests against the under side or face of the nut or collar j, and said head I is adapted to slide freely on the bolt J, so that should the hoistingrope H or its connections to the carriage break, the head will move downward on the bolt J, as the springs G act to force the cams F against the post to stop the falling carriage.

Ropes L L connect the ends of the cam-arms F with the back end of a lever, M, which is hinged at m to the carriageplate O, and projects forward within easy reach of the occupant of the carriage, and so that by depressing the outer end of lever M the ropes L will draw upon and release the brake-cams F from the post A and allow the carriage to descend.

A chain or cord, N, is connected to the end of lever M, and passes over suitable guide pulleys or rollers, 01. n, attached, respectively, to the carriage-post O and the carriage-plate O, and has a ring, N, at its lower end, which may be slipped onto the bent end 1) of a stud, I, fixed to a frame, Q, for holding the cams F out of gripping contact with the post A after the rope H has broken and the carriage is to be raised or lowered by the hand-gearing, next described.

The frame Q is fitted to slide laterally in ways 1 q, fixed to the plate 0 of the carriage, andto one limb or arm of said frame are journaled the larger gear-wheel R and pinion S, both on one shaft, 8, and on the frame Q also is jou'rnaled the pinion T, which meshes with the wheel R, and to the shaft 16 of which the hand lever or crank U is rigidly held. The disk V, which may rest in a recess, 0, of the plate 0, also is fixed to the frame Q, so that the gear-wheels R S T, crank U, and disk V move laterally with said frame, which may be shifted by a feed-screw, W, having a handwheel, w, and passing through a threaded projection, q, of the frame Q, and being swiveled at its end to the carriage or to one of the ways 9, as at w, Figs. 4 and 5. H

The end 12 of the stud P is adapted to enter and slide in an eye or hole in a plate-or bracket, P, fixed to the plate 0, and as the handwheel is turned one way the screw W will carry the pinion S into gear with a rack, a, fixed along one side of the guide-post A, and at the same time cause the end of the part 19 of stud P to project sufficiently beyond the outer face of the bracket P to allow the ring N of chainNto be slipped onto and held by the stud, and by turning the hand-wheel and screw the other way the pinion S will be thrown out of gear with the rack a, and the extreme end of stud P will be drawn back about flush with the face of the bracket P, and will force the ring N from the stud.

I make the crank U in two parts, a a hinged together at a, and on part c is formed the lug or projection to, which may strike against the side of any one of the lugs or stops 1), fixedon the disk V, when the part a is forced inward by the spring X, which is held to the shaft or handle part u by a nut, 10 or otherwise.

The operation is as follows: It will be understood that the weight of the carriage, when unloaded, will be sufficient to hold the cams F F clear of the post A by the pull of the hoistiug'rope H and the ropes K K, the tension of the springs G being regulated to allow these normal positions of the parts. The frame Q also will be adjusted to hold the pinion S out of gear with the rack a, and the ring N of chain N will be disconnected from the end of stud P in the ordinary working of the apparatus. If the rope H or its connections to the carriage should break, the springs G will instantly force the cam-brakes F to the post A and stop the descent of the carriage, which is liable to occur at any point along the post A, so that the carriage must be raised or lowered to discharge its load and facilitate repair of the broken hoisting-rope or connections; and to move the carriage at this time the screw W will be turned by the hand-wheel w to gear the pinion S with the rack a of post A, andcause the end of stud P to protrude beyond the end of the bracket P, so that when the chain N is drawn downward to raise the arms F of the cams F the ring N of the chainmay he slipped on the end p of stud P, as in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, to hold the cams out of gripping contact with the post A, to allow the carriage to be moved by the hand-gearing.

The detached carriage will be held at rest-- when the cams F are held clear of the post A by the chain Nby the engagement of the pinion S with the rack a, and the contact of the crank-stop a" with one of the stops 1: on the disk V, which prevents rotation of the gearing, and to move the carriage the part u of crank U must be drawn outward on its hinge until its stop a will pass by the lugs 11 of disk V, and by turning the crank one way the carriage may gradually and safely be lowered, and by turning the crank the other way the carriage will be raised. Should the attendant lose hold of the handle, the spring X will force the lug a inward to engage one of the lugs 12 and prevent accidental fall of the earriage.

When the carriage is being used as a fireescape and is being operated by the hand-gearing, as last above described, after the hoisting-rope H has been burned away or broken, should an excited occupant of the carriage attempt to lower it to the ground by turning the hand-wheel w instead of the crank U, the end 1) of the stud P will then automatically be withdrawn from the ring N, to allow the springs G to force the cams F to the post A before the pinion S is thrown quite out of gear by such turning of the screw W by wheel w, and when the pinion S is ungeared from the rack a the carriage will be hold fast by the cams, thus preventing violent fall of the carriage and its occupants.

If desired, the screw W maybe turned to gear the pinion S with the rack a at any time to hold the carriage fast at any point of its travel, whether the hoisting-rope be broken or not.

The handle U may be connected with the shaft 8 and the gears R T be dispensed with; but said gears are preferred in practice, as they give a desirable slower speed and greater power to the pinion S in controlling the movements of the carriage.

As a fire-escape the machine is simple and effective, and it may be used with advantage as an elevator in warehouses, mines, in housebuilding, and in many other situations.

I do not limit myself to the precise connection shown of the frame Q and stud P to effect automatic release of 'the cams as the handgearing is disconnected from the post A, as it is evident that the frame Q may be connected by a rod, 1, to an arm or lever, 2, pivoted at 3 to the carriage, and said arm 2 having the bent end 1), on which the chain-ring N is placed, fixed to it, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and so that as the frame Q is moved back by the screw Wto ungear pinion S from rack athe end 9 will be withdrawn to free the cams F, substantially as hereinbefore described.

The lever M may of course be operated by hand to regulate the pressure of the cams F on the post A when a quicker descent of the detached carriage is desired.

I do not limit myself to the use of a single guide-post, A, as with heavy elevators two or more guide-posts may be used, in which case the carriage-supporting bolt J and plate I, to which the hoisting-rope is attached, and the lever M, for releasing the cams, will be arranged at the center of the carriage overhead, and the cam-ropes L will pass from all the cams to the lever M to operate the cams simultaneously, and the hand hoisting andlowering mechanism maybe used with each of the guide-posts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape or elevator, the combination, with the post A, having a rack, a, of the carriage B, fitted to slide on the post and connected by spring-pressed cam-brakes F, ropes K, plate 1, bolt J, and nut j, with the hoisting-rope H, and said carriage having a pinion, S, fitted to a sliding frame, Q, and adapted to be thrown into and out of gear with the rack a, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a fireescape or elevator, the combina tion, with the post A, having a rack, a, of the carriage B, fitted to slide on the post, springpressed cambrakes F, ropes K H, plate I, bolt J, and nut j, and the pinion S, fitted to a sliding frame, Q, and the lever M and ropes L, adapted to keep the cam-brakes off the post when the carriage is to be moved by the hand-gearing,substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a fire-escape or elevator, the combination,with the guide-post A, having a rack,

a, the carriage B, spring-pressed cam-brakes F, ropes K H, plate 1, bolt J, and nut j, of the frame Q, fitted to slide in the carriage and carrying the pinion S,adapted to gear with the rack a, the screw WV, for shifting the frame Q, and the lever M, connected by ropes L with the cam-brakes, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, with the post A, carriage B, and hand-gearing on the carriage for raising and lowering the said carriage, ofa bracket, 1?, fixed to the carriage, a stud end,

5 1), attached to the hand-gearing and adapted while the hand-gearing is being disengaged from the post A, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination, with the post A, carriage B, cam-brakes F, the frame, Q, of the hand-gearing, and the lever M, cords L, and chain N, of a stud,P,fiXed on frame Q, and having an end, p, and the bracket P,fixed to the carriage and receiving said end 1), substantially as herein set forth.

6. A fire-escape and elevator constructed with a carriage, B, sliding on a post, A, having a rack, a, spring-pressed cam-brakes F, ropes K H, plate I, bolt J, nut j, lever M, ropes L, chain N, abracket, P, on the carriage, the frame Q, supporting the hand-gearing adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the rack a of post A, the screw W, and a stud or bolt connected to said frame, and adapted to enter a hole in the bracket P and protrude through the bracket for connection of the chain N, all substantially as herein set forth.

7. The crank U, made in two jointed sections, and having the stop to and spring X, in combination with the gearing for moving the earriage B by engagement with the rack a on the post A, and a plate, V, fixed to the sliding.

frame Q, which supports said gearing, and having stops 0, against which the crank-stop a strikes, substantially as herein set forth.

8. The combination, with an elevator guide post, and an elevator having cams for automatically stopping its descent should the elevator-rope break, and an adjustable hand-gearing for moving the said elevator, adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the guide-post, a locking-connection between said hand-gearing and elevator,and a movable part or arm for holding the cams out of engagement with the guide-post by a suitable connection, the said part or arm being connected with the adjustable hand-gearing to release the cams as the hand-gearing is moved away from the guide-post, substantially as set forth.

GHARLESR. S. CURTIS. Witnesses:

OSCAR P. BoNNEY, J. CHARLES J. CONRAD. 

